SUPER CAUTION: DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T LIKE SAD ENDINGS. You have been warned…
*I'm in the mood to write something sad so here it goes! Writing about my favorite anime once again: Yumeiro Patissiere! I do not own~*
Ichigo and Kashino were having one of their famous fights over sweets. Ichigo had boiled something too hot and too long, ruining the entire dish. Although it was just practice, Kashino seemed to be angry with her. In his heart he wasn't mad at all… but for some reason he erupted with what would be portrayed as hate and anger. Why was he always like this?
"How could you be such an idiot?!" He yelled at her. He wanted to take back his words, but for some reason he couldn't- preparing the next insult he would fling, his heart told him to stop but he just couldn't. Ichigo was trying to stand stronger this time, fighting back trying to hide the tears behind her façade. It was impossible to tell how much it hurt each time Kashino spoke.
"I didn't mean to! Why are you yelling at me?!" Her face got closer with each word as she wished for a better relationship between them. Maybe not dating yet… of course not, Kashino hated girls… but at least friends. A blush crept up onto Kashino's face as he took a step back, only to yell louder of embarrassment. His mouth opened before he realized it had. "Maybe you could do something right if you weren't such a failure!"
Ichigo was taken back, and even Kashino could see the hurt in her eyes, but still tried to stand her ground. She didn't want to stand back and let Kashino push her around this time, though each word she said urged him on and each word he said just threw another dagger into her heart. A soul can only withstand so much pain."I at least try to do my best! I'm not born with natural talents!" It was clear she was almost at her breaking point, but she hoped this would be enough to end the argument. Her knees were shaking from fright and pain. Of suffering. Each fight led to this, but she'd never admit how much it hurt her.
"Your grandmother was, and now you're just letting her down, disgracing her by messing up something as simple at this!" His voice still rang out, and even he was surprised at the words that left his lips. There was a silence. Before he said the last word he knew he had gone too far. Ichigo's face froze as millions of thoughts raced through her mind. So many she couldn't hear them all. But all were screaming the same thing: You failure. The two simple words that would tear her heart apart, burning it like it was a paper over an open flame.
Kashino didn't know why but whenever he was with Ichigo, he always did the opposite of what he wanted to do. Now he wanted to hold her and tell her he knows she tried her best. To tell her that everything he's ever done he's done because he just doesn't know how else to react to this sudden love interest in his life. He'd never been one to take an interest in girls… but Ichigo was different.. He wanted to tell her all this but instead he said something like this and it disgusted him.
Ichigo's wall broke and the tears started to fall. Her face that was always smiling was now wet with tears and showing an expression no one had ever seen. A pained, sorrowful face that broke Kashino's heart into millions of pieces until it bled anything that was concealed in the secretive soul.
"A-Ama…" He stuttered, unable to speak the next sentence. It hurt him beyond words to see the waterfall on her face, but he couldn't speak. His heart was locked in place and he almost couldn't breathe.
Staggering backwards, Ichigo started to run away. Each step she took just had the daggers in her heart tearing longer rips. She'd never run so fast in her life.
I knew I was a failure. I knew I could never do it. I knew I could never do as well as my grandmother… Why do I even try?
Dashing after her, Kashino ran, but she was running too fast he couldn't catch up. His breath was running short and he couldn't breathe but he just kept running after the shadow in front of him in the dim moonlight.
Kashino will leave me. Hanabusa will leave. Even Andou will surpass me and I'll become nothing but dirt in this world. Just… Why does my heart hurt like this?
Closing her eyes, Ichigo just kept running as the tears flung behind her. Trying to wipe her tears, her foot hit something slippery. She realized she was already by the lake. Trying to skid to a halt, her ankle twisted on the rock. She hurled towards the water, sinking farther. The water filled her ears and nose. Her lungs. Without an attempt to swim for the surface, she was ready to die. Ready to stop the constand pain in her heart knowing she'd never become as great as her grandmother, knowing Kashino would never stop insulting her. This one-sided love. This shattered dream. She wanted to disappear into the abyss of the lake. The shadow will soon swallow her up and she'd be forgotten by everyone.
Amon-who? They would say, I don't know. Apparently she just disappeared. Who cares? I don't. Haha.
Her body begged for air, but she denied the request. No matter what, she'll never amount to anything. She'll never be loved. She'll never be anything in this world.
"A-Amano!" Kashino screamed after her seeing her fall into the lake, finally catching up to her, he was sure he'd see her surface before he jumped into the frigid water, but he didn't see anything. Throwing his jacket off into the mud and kicking off his shoes as he ran, he dove into the lake, searching for her. His hands only found seaweed at first, until they hit something hard. Something cold. Finding her at last her body was ice-cold. No… he thought, it's probably just the lake that's cold. Throwing her to the surface, he swam up after. Noticing the lack of breathing he reassured himself again, She's probably just out of breath from running…
Finally getting her onto the land, he laid her on her back. His teeth were chattering in the chilly night air but he didn't care. The only thing he cared about now was Amano. Her feeble body was motionless as her face was on one side and a peaceful look on her face. Her eyes were still red from crying. Her fair skin was stained with tears despite the lake's water on them. "Amano!" He screamed, holding her wrist only to find there was no pulse. Pushing into her chest, he tried to get her to breathe. "Amano, you can't leave me!" He leaned down next to her mouth. There was no air coming in or out. Putting his own lips to hers, he tried to make her breathe but it was no use. This isn't how I imagined how our lips would meet, He thought as he cried for the first time. A tear streaked down his cheek as it hit her face, dripping down the same path her own tears had fallen.
"Ichigo…" He called her by her first name, "This can't be how you die… You can't leave me like this…" Saying the word die made him cry harder. He couldn't accept this. He brought her lifeless body up to his own, shaking it but it wouldn't come to life. "I'm so sorry…" His tears started falling onto her face, "I love you…" His voice was wavering. He couldn't believe this was reality. He must be dreaming. Leaning down onto her, he realized she was never coming back. Sitting there for a moment, he just laid by her.
"Look Amano, aren't the stars amazing?" He asked quietly, calmly. Like they were finally together. "They're beautiful," He whispered, "Like you." They laid there for almost an hour. Talking quietly. Whispering unsaid words. Kashino's head tucked into her shoulder as he whispered once more, "I love you Amano, we should do this more often…" A tear fell down his cheek as he remembered reality. More tears started falling, and he just couldn't accept it. No Amano… I can't be like this… Not without you.
"Here, hold this," He said, placing a jagged piece of glass in her hand that he had picked up from the bay of the lake. He put his own wrist to it, slicing a deep wound. The slice of his flesh soothed him as he felt the blood trickle down his hand onto hers. For the first time, he felt something he knew was off, but it felt like love. Lying next to her, he held her hand as his blood cascaded down, bonding them both. "I'll be with you forever. No matter where we are," He whispered through tears as he felt it get harder to breathe. He leaned in to kiss her, "I'm sorry," He whispered with his last breath. His head fell down, and the two slept eternally hand in hand, their heads together. The red river between them.
"I'm sorry," His words still echoed.